News in brief for readers and writers

Library showcases author for book discussion

Kimberly Brock will do a presentation based on her novel, The River Witch, at 7 p.m. Oct. 30 at the Jackson County Public Library in Sylva. Brock will read selections from the book and take questions from the audience.

A mystical southern tale set in the Sea Islands off the South Carolina/Georgia coast, ballerina Roslyn Bryne loses her career and suffers a tragic miscarriage, her grief sends her into a desperate exile to the mystical Mannyâs Island where she rents a lonely house that once belonged to a conjure woman. But instead of solitude, Roslyn is confronted with the audacious, motherless Damascus Trezevant and an unforgettable summer follows.

Writer celebration in Dillsboro

Catch the Spirit of Appalachia will showcase local writers during âA Writerâs Celebrationâ at 6 p.m. Nov. 9 at the Carriage Room of the Jarrett House in Dillsboro.

By the end of the year, Catch the Spirit of Appalachia will have published nine new books by local writers. This brings the total of published books by the nonprofit organization to 66 books since 1996. To celebrate this achievement, âA Writerâs Celebrationâ will include a reading performance, refreshments and book signing for the authors of the books theyâve recently published. The program will consist of original prose, poetry and song from Jack Hinson, Sophia Brooks, Jean Frady, Marlene Dillon, Victoria McDonald, Jim Staggers, Linda Dickert, Betty Brown, Ray Carpenter, Pam Dengler, Janie McKinley, Terry Michelsen and Barbara Woodall.

There will be a reception and book signing to follow at 7 p.m.

Author debuts historical novel

Katherine Scott Crawford will read from her debut historical novel, Keowee Valley, at 2 p.m. Oct. 27th at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.

In the spring of 1768, the Southern frontier was a treacherous place inhabited by the powerful Cherokee people. In Charlestown, 25-year-old Quincy McFadden receives news from beyond the grave. Her cousin, whom she believed to be long dead, is in fact alive, but being held captive by the Shawnee. Unmarried, bookish and plagued by visions of the future, Quinn is a woman out of place and this is the adventure she has long been waiting for.